Improved baileoad switch



@mitch gisten -atrnt @fitta S. PACKARD, CF TEST STCCKBRIDGE,MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 62,217, L ated February 19, 1867.

IMPROVED RAILROAD SWITCH.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, L. S. PACKARD, of West Stockbridge, in the county ofBerkshire,and.State oifMassachusetts, have invented a new and usefulimprovement in Self-Adjusting Railroad Switches; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof',which will enable others skilled in `the art tomake and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspeci` iication, in whichi Figure 1 is a plan of my improvedself-adjusting railroad switch set for main track.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a section through the linea rv. in iig. 1.

Similar letters `ofV reference indicate like parts.

The object of my invention is to simplify the arrangement of a switch,so that it can'be easily adjusted to and secured for a branch track .oneither side of the main track, andv also so that when released it willreplace itself in position for the main track, as hereinafter more fullydescribed.

A represents my improved switch, made in two parts or sections,consisting of three parallel tracks made in one piece, which swing onpivots, B, iny the centre. These tracks are moved parallel with eachother by means of the oross-bars C C, which are-pivoted near the ends ofthe movable tracks A. The switcl1,'as shown in the accompanying drawing,is set on the main track. i

In order to switch oi'i to the right, press down the lever D7 which willunlock the tracks A, by freeing the same from the slot a in'the lever D.Then push back the lover E toward thetrack, whichV lever, E, beingattached to a rod, F, fastened to the tracks A, will pull the saidtracks A around until the rails 1 1 1 1 meet 'each other. rEhen, bypressing with the foot on the lever G, the track thus placed will beheld securely by means of a pin, H, on the upper side of the said lever,G, which will enter' holes prepared for the reception ofK the same inthe .bottom of the tracks A. N denotes a pusher, securely fastened toone of the cross-bars C, which, when the switch' is set onthe righthandtrack, will compress the' spring L, so that, when the foot is raisedfrom the leverG, the spring J will pull down said lever, and therebywithdraw the pin from the hole in the bottom of the tracks A.'Ihcmovable tracks being thus freed will be forced back by the spring Lto their original position on the main track.

The great advantage of my invention over others now in use is, requiredto be overcome in moving the same from one track to the other; and,secondly,

iirst,tl1e very small amount of friction the rapidity with which theswitch can be changed; and, thirdly, it will not be liable to get chokedup with ice and snow, as the ordinary switches now do.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The arrangement of a set of parallel tracks A, moving on pivots B,andkept in a parallel position by means of the bars C, when constructedand operatingsubstantially as hereinsct forth.

2. The combination andarra-ngeme'nt of the rails A, parallel hars C,slotted lever D, pusher N, springs L, rod F, lever E, lever G, pin H,vand spring J, as herein shown and described, and for the purposespecified.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 25th day ofOctober, 1866.

L. S. PACKARD.

Witnesses:

PETER COOKE,

ALEX. F. ROBERTS.

